Captain's Log... Coteaz...

http://www.thelordinquisitor.com/

A fellow nemed Kesley schooled me today in the ways of running Grey Knights without really running Grey Knights. I have the codex and have been reading it and have browsed the internet. If I was an arrogant man I would have been humbled but I am already humble so I just lost and learned a great lesson.

Kelsey is a competative player and master of the rules in our local area. He is also a really great person to game with becasue he's really a sportsman and not some... piece of anatomy! His list as I remember it with one or two things I have forgotten at the moment.

- Coteaz (Makes henchmen troop choices)

- Librarian

- Techmarines x2

- Henchmen x3, razorback with assault cannons, psybolt ammunition (x4 units)

- Deathcult Assassins x12 (x2 units)

- Landraider Crusader (x2)

Kelsey's Ork-quisition... and borrowed tanks.

He runs coteaz/techmarine/deathcult in one raider and the librarian/techmarine/deathcult in the other. His strategy is to run at you with the raiders while shooting you with the strength seven/rending (the +1 str due to psybolt ammo) assault cannons. When the raiders get to you he deposits them in close combat using the plethora of grenades to augment your stats, if possible, and then uses the psychic powers to bump up the assassins. If the powers go off correctly the assassins end up being I6, S6, with several attacks on the charge with power weapons and ++4 inv save. It's a lot of dice to say the least.

 I took my 'Death's Hammer' (Is that better Ray? :P) to keep on track with learning the do's and the don'ts. I'm not familiar with the Grey Knights, I've read Coteaz does 'stuff' and I saw Kelsey play them last night for what it's worth. The key, in my opinion, is to get the landriaders stopped or... die trying. I emphasize the die part here and now!

We rolled up capture and control/dawn of war. Great, drawhammer and shove me to the table edge.

Soooo... I won the roll-off for the set-up and side of the table but decided to go second since I'm really sucking at deployment and what I should be doing. I know already it's going to put me behind the power curve but I feel like being put under the pressure in casual but competitive environment it will help me in the long run. I learned that you don't learn much by winning. (Why? Because if you won, you obviously did it right!)

right side of my deployment.

left side of my deployment

So to summarize the game...

My 'flag' is in the building to my right. His is centered on the table.

1st turn - He moves out 12" with the raiders, smokes some of the razorbacks that are within 3" of his objective, and shoots the bikes on the right up. He also manages to kill one terminator from his hurricane bolters. I move forward with the bikes to cover and shoot some missiles... to no great glory due to night fight (out of range) and shrouding.

2nd turn - He moves closer 12" with the raiders, disembarks 2", and will eventually charge the terminators on the right of the board in the building and one outside of the building (and getting off a multi-charge) I will do absolutely nothing after moving my remaining bikes to cover or to shoot some more razorbacks.

I will lose seven terminators in close combat, he will lose six assassins across his two units, and I will lose an additional terminator to fearless wounds or because of the D.I.P. (die in place) rule.

3rd Turn - He jockeys some razorbacks around his objective and shoots the remaining attack bikes. I will gun down one razorback and counter charge with any terminators close enough on the right. I will also hide my three bikes hoping that one of my termies will survive the game and I can turbo boost close to his objective to contest and pull of the 'draw'.

I will lose the remainder of Belial's command unit, Belial, and three more terminators.

4th turn - I will continue to hide the last of the bikes and kill a razorback. His shooting does nothing since he is out of range.

In close combat I lose all my remaining terminators thus losing my 'flag'.

5th turn - He disembarks two henchmen squads and I charge one of them with my bikes. I fail to kill one unit of henchmen with the bikes (not in range to multi-assault) leaving him in clear control of both flags.

and... I roll a two for the game to end...

It could have been you... but it's not!

Beef (left) and Aaron (right) were great cheerleaders but won't be on big screen during the Superbowl!

What did I learn?

- Stacking psychic powers is clearly an advantage.

- Strength seven rending assault cannons are very effective.

- Henchmen and their vehicles seems like min/max from 4th edition.

- If you don't stop the raiders in this list and soften the assassins up... well... nice knowing you!

- I don't suggest going 2nd in 'Dawn of War' with a list like mine. I could have plugged two terminator units mid field and held him up. How much? That is a guess but keeping him from getting to me with 'full' units has got to be a priority. Stopping the raiders is included in this 'stopping them' strategy.

I will be in the corner... figuring out when I can get a rematch...

CK